


Bad Dream

by Havoklysm



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: BOTW DLC, Gen, Link frees Majora, Majora is a fan character, Majora's Mask, Possession, botw, so Link finds Majora's Mask, sorta crossover, this is set in botw but with the dlc content where you find all the artifacts, trapped Majora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22287889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Havoklysm/pseuds/Havoklysm
Summary: After decades of waiting, her freedom finally comes.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story uses my personal Majora design, which you may find on my Patre 0n, Deviant ART, or Insta gram if you're interested. My handle on all three sites is the same I use here! 
> 
> More notes at the end of the chapter!

As the hours, the years, the  _ decades _ , ticked by, Majora grew bored of the darkness she once adored.

Trapped. She knew she was held captive somewhere, but she could not tell where or by what means.

The last time she’d seen daylight was so long ago now . . . she couldn’t recall what it even looked or felt like. Her last host had been a sweet child, a lonely boy who only wished to have friends, and that desire made him easily susceptible to her sway. 

A smile twisted her face. She’d nearly crushed an entire town with the moon, but the memory grew fuzzy. If that was from her endless hours spent in dark confinement or not she did not know. It felt as if the memory itself was severed, the ends fraying into a tangled mess of which she could not find the beginning. 

No matter; the past had little influence on her now. She only wished for an end to her torture.

Time had no meaning, either. She remained trapped by its hands, forced to wait and watch the never-changing darkness that swallowed her. 

A white light cut horizontally through her field of inky black, disrupting her thoughts and bringing her back into the moment. A wide, mischievous grin overcame her features when realization struck her. It appeared all her time of waiting paid off.

Her hands reached outward, her vision obscured by the brightness, and she felt herself being lifted from her cage--freed at last. 

Once her sight cleared, she saw a young man holding her--rather, holding her mask. A handsome young face, with eyes an innocent blue and hair a shade of gold. A thought tugged at her psyche, a memory of similar colors in a young boy she’d met long before. No, not Skull Kid, not the lonely one, but the hero who foiled her plans. 

Majora wondered what sort of land she currently resided in. Her last one, Termina, was a strange place. She often wondered if  _ that _ one even existed. This one felt different to her, and the young man holding her didn’t have the same desires as the little boy who simply wanted friends.

Finding this her opportunity to finally live after so long, she reached out to the young man’s mind. Intangible feelers stretched outward and grasped onto him, taking root. She whispered to him sweet nothings, promises to have his desires filled and grant a way to solve his problems. 

She only hoped he’d take the bait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a three part story that I will update as soon as I finish polishing the next chapter. This work also started out as one of my OCs instead of Link, but I made the decision to make it Link when circumstances with said OC changed.  
> I guess this could also be considered a crossover? But I love that the BOTW DLC included items from the other games, and naturally I adore that Majora's Mask is a find-able, and wearable, item. So, I played with that idea and was able to include my Majora design as well! I have plans for Majora, but for now, enjoy this story!
> 
> The story is also inspired by a song by Ruelle with the same name as the title I used! I recommend giving that a listen while you read, especially while reading the next chapters I'll be posting. It sets the mood well I think.  
> Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included a link at the bottom of the chapter, so, if you're interested, you can see what my Majora design looks like!
> 
> More notes at the end.

A menacing, disembodied cackle surrounded him, filling his ears and buzzing through his skull. It was thick, like the darkness encircling him, and the ability to breathe became a struggle as panic gripped him. It felt as if he swam through mud--a losing battle.

A brief moment of familiarity flashed through him, he had been asleep for a hundred years and this felt similar, but it was _not_ the same. _That_ darkness had been comforting, safe. _This_ darkness struck a chord of fear through his system. His body felt freezing while overheated simultaneously, and his head couldn’t fight back the headache forming from the echoing sensation of that laugh. 

He couldn’t move.

He couldn’t utter a sound.

**“Poor thing. . .”**

His head whipped around, but blue eyes saw nothing but _black_. The voice was easy to understand, but what followed it and coated each letter was a static humming that lingered seconds after the voice faded. It vibrated through his mind, coming in like interference from a machine. It left him feeling uncomfortable. 

**“I saw how badly you wanted my power. You’re feeling desperate, aren’t you?”**

Another laugh, louder this time— _closer?_ No body to pinpoint made it difficult to judge the location of the voice. 

A hand touched his cheek, cool fingers like ice lifting his chin. The contact made him shiver, the cold seeping through his skin and causing the reaction. Although he knew it _was_ a hand, or assumed it to be, he still saw nothing but the sea of ink suffocating him. 

**“So much pain in your heart. My last host was lonely. Poor little thing had no friends. So, what’s** **_your_ ** **story, hm?”**

Link opened his mouth to answer, but felt himself choking on the inky darkness. It filled him, preventing new gulps of air from cycling through his system and rendering him useless.

**“Oh, dear.”**

Those frigid hands were back on him, gripping his shoulders and grounding him. He felt a solid surface beneath his feet, no longer feeling as if he were floating in a pit of nothingness. 

When he opened his eyes, he stood on a white platform no wider than five feet in any direction. Blinking, Link took an experimental step forward, stumbling, and realized those hands from before were no longer on him. 

“Welcome to your mind.” The static that coated each word was no longer present, and the voice felt closer than it had been. It felt tangible instead of a mere thought unwelcome in his mind. 

The blond turned around, coming face-to-face with another person--a tall, slender woman. Purple hair curled around her pointed face, spikes of varying colors poking out from between the violet locks in a symmetrical pattern--three on either side of her head and two protruding from her forehead. Her skin, even in the strange dim lighting of this dark place, he could tell the color was a pale gray. Her orange and green piercing gaze fixed onto his blue and he felt himself shrink, inferior to the being he found himself stood before. Her flowing skirt and sleeves rivaled the night sky as it billowed around her as if caught in a nonexistent breeze, strange patterns on the material.

Slowly, she walked toward him, slow and deliberate in her movements. A hand reached outward, her strange gaze studying him, and she cupped his chin lightly to bring their eyes together. Strange patterns covered her face, and it was then it clicked.

“ _Majora._ ” His throat felt raw, as if he hadn’t used his vocal chords in a year. How he knew who she was, he didn’t know, but her name left his tongue as if on its own accord. He blinked in surprise at himself, and a strange sense of deja vu filled him. _Have I met her before?_

“Atta boy,” the woman purred, voice low. That bewildered look from before was replaced with a snarky grin, and her hand dropped away. 

“What is—”

“Shhh,” she pressed a finger to her lips and laughed, the sound more alluring than ominous. “This was _your_ choice. You put my mask on. Do you remember that? I called to you, and you couldn’t resist. Most _can’t_ resist.”

“Am I possessed?” The thought of being under another’s control caused a pang of fear to slice through him. For all the things he’d been through, most of which he couldn’t remember, he didn’t want to add possession to the list. 

“Something like that. I’m borrowing your body, and you have no say in that matter, but I _am_ acting off _your_ desires. Your deepest, darkest, most _delicious_ desires.” Majora strutted behind him. “You can hear and see everything that goes on, too.” The woman leaned closer, her breath tickling his ear and causing a tremor to run along his spine. “But you are _powerless_ to stop me. Weak wills cannot combat one of such tremendous strength, after all.” 

Before he could get another word in, the platform below his feet gave way and he fell. A scream tore from his throat, that plummeting feeling gripping his bones and shaking him to the core. It felt endless, falling into a sea of inky nothiness where his feet never connected with solid ground. He could no longer tell which direction was which.

_Am I going to die?_

Laughter echoed around him, circling him like that dense black that oozed from all angles and kept him trapped with fear. It rang in his ears, louder now than before, and caused a steady throb to pound through his skull.

**“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”**

\---

[Majora Character Design](https://www.patreon.com/posts/majora-character-29173501)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some action in this chapter! And a better look at my Majora too, which, again, you can see my design on either my Deviant ART page, Patre 0n, or Insta gram. Or, follow the link at the bottom of the chapter!
> 
> The last chapter will have some actual interaction between Link and Majora, and I'll post it as soon as I finish polishing it up, but this was a fun one to write!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Link hadn’t realized the repercussions of his actions until far too late. He hadn’t expected to miss those long years of slumber either. At least during  _ that _ he had peaceful dreams. Now? Now he was bored and missing roaming the land. Although the heavy burden on his shoulders had been a tough pill to swallow, and he still hadn’t gotten many memories back, he yearned to be able to run around freely. 

He’d also lost track of how much time had passed. Had it been days? Weeks? He couldn’t know. 

“Majora?”

The demonic presence shifted beside him, turning a horned head his way and boring her piercing gaze into him. “Yes?” 

It amused the young man how they could sit in some sort of amicable silence, but he didn’t let that show on his face. Instead, he asked a question that had been on his mind since the moment he came face-to-face with the spirit of the mask. “How long is this ‘companionship’ going to last?”

Majora didn’t answer right away. Her unusual eyes studied him, flickering over his countenance with a pensive draw to her brows. “Until all your desires are fulfilled.”

“And what are my desires?” Link blinked owlishly. He barely knew himself, his memories still scattered around the world waiting for him to trigger them. He knew Mipha, he knew Revali, and he knew he and the princess hadn’t gotten along so well at first, but he didn’t have his full story. The only desire he could think of was his yearning to learn what he forgot and to finally put an end to the Calamity. Also horses and food if those counted as desires. 

As if reading his thoughts, which Link figured was plausible, Majora laughed softly. “Those are true too. The latter two are easy enough to fulfill.” She spoke in a gentle manner. “Do you honestly not know?”

“Can’t you see everything being in my mind like you are?”

“Sort of.”

“Can’t you see that it’s broken then?” He’d never seen her stunned before, but the expression on her face could be deemed as nothing else. He swallowed thickly before adding, “I lost my memories. They’re . . . scattered. I haven’t recovered them all.” A beat of silence. “Can you see them though?” A spark of hope tinged his voice, wondering if, perhaps, Majora could help him somehow recover that which he lost.

She tapped a slender finger to her chin, unfolding her legs from where they were tucked beneath her and letting them rest to her side in a more comfortable position. “I see a Zora, Mipha, and her obnoxious brother.” 

“Sidon’s not obnoxious. He’s just . . . enthusiastic.”

“To me, that’s one and the same.” 

Link snorted, “I collected those memories already though. What else can you see?”

“A humanoid bird. It’s talking to you. He seems arrogant.”

“That’s Revali. He’s a Rito! You haven’t seen a Rito before?”

“Obviously not. Anthropomorphic birds did not exist in the world that I am from.”

“Where are you from?” 

Majora turned to him again, raising an eyebrow. “I do not remember the world where I once existed, it’s been so long since that time, but the place where I last roamed and my mask was used as it’s being used now was called Termina. I almost crushed it with the very moon.”

“With the  _ moon _ ?” Link straightened his spine, hands gripping his knees as his eyes lit up with a mix of fear and intrigue. “How did you manage  _ that _ ?”

“I’m quite powerful.” She sighed, head tilting to the side as she turned her gaze away to stare thoughtfully into the void around them. “I’ve been around a long time. I was once a person as you are, but events transpired that ended with me being cursed and trapped in the mask. It’s been so long since those days. I don’t remember much of what it was like to live and breathe on my own. To walk, see, and feel on my own.” A sly smile curled Majora’s lips. “Revenge I think was my original motivation. Now my purpose is to cause destruction one way or another. Those who did this to me, who sealed away my great power because they were scared, are all dead. Now it’s more of an excuse to unleash my power onto the world any way I can. It’s a shame I can’t tap into my full potential though. I’m limited by the mask and who wears it.” 

Link hummed, the grip on his knees loosening as he relaxed his posture. “Do you remember the people who trapped you? Or anything of that life of yours?”

“It’s fuzzy and broken.” She waved a hand dismissively. “You’d have better luck asking me about Termina and my last host than my earlier memories. I’ve been around for so long that I’ve begun to forget the oldest things.” 

“Maybe you’re like me and need a trigger to activate the forgotten memories.” Link shrugged. “Have you ever considered trying to use your powers for good though?” He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe if you were nice someone could help you.” 

“Perhaps, but what could possibly trigger those older memories?” Her head tilted quizzically, eyes narrowing in thought. “And what do you mean ‘help me?’”

“I . . . I don’t know. For me, locations triggered some, so maybe you just need to see certain places again. Or, because that’s probably impossible given you aren’t from here, maybe if you read about it in books?” A frown pulled his lips. “And I mean help you to get out of this mask, or, I dunno.  _ Something. _ ” 

Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know if that would work, but perhaps.” Her head shook from side-to-side, violet locks quivering from the motion. “You’re so naive, Link. I think by now I’m beyond any help a mortal could offer me.” 

“We all need help now and again, even you.”

She scoffed, but a small smile formed on her face. This boy was far too kind and hopeful. 

“Anyway!” Link clapped his hands together. “What other memories of mine can you see?”

Glad to be off the topic of herself, Majora crossed her arms and concentrated. The earlier people she had seen came easily, for the boy had already recovered those missing pieces, but the remaining ones were trickier. Even she couldn’t get fully past the barriers his mind put up, but the demon managed to get something. “A woman. A  _ big _ woman. Red hair. Urbosa.”

Link blinked at her, this one not coming to mind at all. “I . . . I don’t know this Urbosa.” 

The next form she saw fared much the same as the other. Another locked memory it seemed. “I also see a Goron. Daruk. Is he familiar to you?”

The Hylian shook his head. “No. I haven’t been all over yet, just to Rito Village and Zora’s Domain, so I’m missing key parts that I’ll discover soon.” His face lit up when he peered at Majora. “Thank you. I at least have names to go off now. I have to find out who Urbosa and Daruk are.” The boy shifted, facing Majora better. “I’ll help you in return. Fair is fair. Hyrule Castle is a dangerous place, it’s where the calamity is, but I have a feeling that there will help you. I’ve been following these notes all around Hyrule, a journal left by a thief named Misko, and he said in those notes that he found your mask, and other items, in the castle. It’s where he stole them from. Maybe there are clues left there? Though, that was a hundred years ago.”

The colorful woman blinked, staring dumbstruck at the young man showing a great deal of enthusiasm to help the one who possessed him. Then she laughed. Slow and quiet at first until it grew to a near cackle. 

Link blinked, confused by the shift.

When she quieted, she shook her head yet again. “I don’t understand you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so . . . selfless. It’s almost admirable. Or maybe I’m just tired from being locked up for so long. Who knows?” She waved a hand, dismissing the topic. She looked at him with a serious expression. “It’s hard to determine your desires. I see you wish to have your memories back, but that’s not something within my power to retrieve for you. I cannot mend a broken mind, and the walls that are blocking your memories I cannot tear down for you. I can, however, give you power or make your journey easier for you to get where you wish to go.” She adjusted where she sat. “My power is at your disposal.”

“I have a feeling I don’t have much choice in the matter of accepting your power or not.”

“You really don’t.”

Link was silent for a long while, blue eyes watching the inky blackness around them. He faced his company with a serious expression not long afterwards. “If you’d like my help, we could start by looking for clues near where I found you buried. It was at an outpost.”

“You said I was stolen. I don’t remember that. I only remember darkness followed by the light from when you opened my prison.” 

“I was asleep for a hundred years and don’t remember much of anything but waking up too, so you and I are similar it sounds like. Maybe you lost some memories too?” The knight kept that serious look on his face. “It’d be a start though. I doubt Misko is alive, but maybe he had relatives? Or we just head straight to the castle.”

Majora hummed quietly. It turned out they  _ were _ alike after all. “I should thank you for freeing me. It’s nice to be able to  _ move _ again. And talk to someone who isn’t myself.” She shrugged. “I’m not going to argue looking into my history, but know your desires come before all else.”

Link smiled, pleased to have some sort of confirmation. After a long moment of silence fell between them, he broke it. “Say, do you  _ have _ to possess me?” When Link received only a raised eyebrow in response, he elaborated. “Can’t you materialize outside the mask? It’d make helping one another a lot easier if I could just tote your mask around. We’d be travel partners!” The boy appeared genuinely excited about not traveling alone anymore, but only at the prospect of not being controlled by a possibly demonic entity. 

“I have been cursed to remain in this mask. That is why I call to people to put me on, so I may walk the land again and unleash my power.” She recited, then tilted her head in thought. “I’ve never tried projecting myself outside of the mask though.” Her power wasn’t as it used to be, weakened from being out of commission for so long, but she kept that tidbit to herself. 

“Maybe it’d be worth a shot to try?” Link stared at her hopeful. Going sightseeing with a partner, and helping someone who clearly needed it, had his adrenaline pumping. He truly was a good soul through and through. 

The woman didn’t seem convinced though.

A thought then dawned on him, and he visibly shrunk in on himself. “I suppose though, in the end, I’d have to hand you back over to the royal family.” He furrowed his brows. “Unless we broke your curse.”

“Royal family?” Orange-green eyes widened, blinking owlishly.

“Well, the princess.” The blond bobbed his head. “Zelda.” He shifted some, stretching his legs outward. “I mean, she’s trapped right now, but once I save her we’ll have a lot of work to do. Returning the stolen artifacts will be one of those things I’m sure. But, I’ll make sure you’re treated well. You won’t be trapped again, I promise. If you want to make amends and learn about yourself, I’ll help you. I won’t leave you out to dry if you’re willing to put forth the effort. I’d like to help you, after all, not condemn you.” He just hoped he wasn’t putting too much faith and trust in an age-old entity who had a thirst for revenge and destruction. 

Majora was silent for a long while, absorbing the information and the foreign act of kindness. She unfolded herself from her sitting position, uncrossing limbs, and stood, peering down at Link with an unusually gentle look on her face. It seemed she’d formed a slight soft spot for the young Hylian. Captivity had made her weak. “I think it’s time to wake up now.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “Think about my offer though, alright? We could really benefit one another if we worked together.” Link offered a warm smile, remaining hopeful. 

Majora nodded slowly, the area surrounding her seeming to ripple and fold until she vanished from sight in a cloak of black. 

She had a lot to think about, it seemed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At that's it! This was only supposed to be three chapters, but if there's an interest for more, perhaps I could add a fourth? Comment if you'd like one more chapter! Otherwise, I'll call this finished. 
> 
> I've been working on this thing for far too long though, so it's nice to have it done. The third chapter took the longest to figure out and change from the original idea with my OC, but I think it turned out alright. There's also a little bit of insight to my Majora and a vague reference to what happened to her. I'm slowly working on her story, because I hope to write that out as a full-fledged story to share with everyone, but that monster is going to take quite a bit of time as well as designing. But, if you're interested in my Majora and what I have planned for her, be assured that more with her will come someday! Art especially, but even perhaps smaller stories just for the sake of it. 
> 
> Also, Link's eagerness to help Majora I feel is him sensing that she's not such an evil entity after all. I've honestly made her more curious about her surroundings, and about Link, due to the fact she was locked up for so long. This isn't the same world she once knew, nor is it the world she was born, so it's all new to her. Like the existence of Rito haha 
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! And, again, let me know if you'd like one more chapter! I'd be willing to write a fourth if there's an interest ^^


End file.
